SPIRITUAL READINESS
 
         By A. W. Tozer

        The end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober,
        and watch unto prayer.         --1 Peter 4:7

           When the Bible says that God is calling a special people
        out of the nations to bear the name of His eternal Son, I
        believe it and His name is Jesus!

           Our pious forefathers believed in spiritual preparation,
        and they said so.  They saw themselves as a bride being
        prepared to meet the Bridegroom.  They regarded this
        earth as  the  dressing room  to  outfit themselves  for
        heaven.

           The evangelical church has come through a period
        when nearly everyone has believed that there is just one
        prerequisite to readiness: being born again.  We have
        made being born again almost like receiving a pass to a
        special event - when Jesus returns we whip out the pass
        to prove our readiness.

           Frankly,  I  do  not  think it  will  be  like  that.  I do not
        believe that all professed believers are automatically ready
        to meet the Lord.  Our Savior Himself was joined by Peter
        and John and Paul in warning and pleading that we should
        live and watch and pray, so to be ready for Jesus' coming.
        .....................................................................................
        Yours in Christ,
        Paul N. F.